Like, Spiritually We’re All the Same…

The more TV I watch, the more I become intrigued when a commercial, either wittingly or unwittingly, reveals some greater truth relevant to life beyond the tube or whatever product is being sold. In a new Volkswagen commercial, a woman has a conversation with an old Volkswagen van about the differences between Volkswagens and other cars. She starts off saying they’re all the same, until the Volkswagen lists off several features the Volkswagen has and the woman has no response. “So you mean like spiritually, we’re all the same. I can dig it, man,” concludes the old Volkswagen van sarcastically.

I knew there was a reason Volkswagen vans were worth three points when we played beetle bugs growing up! In all seriousness though, how is it possible for van to utter such profound truth when politicians bumble and stumble around the idea that not all religions are the same. It should be a sign of intelligence, not intolerance, that people recognize the inherent, and often irreconcilable, differences between religions. One need not look any further to Hitler to know that history has shown examples of individuals who have used differences in religion for personal gain. However, there have also been a large number of religiously motivated individuals who have worked tireless to improve the human condition for people regardless of their religion like Mother Teresa, so to claim that acknowledging religions are indeed different automatically leads to abuses is playing the politics of fear.

For anyone unconvinced of the differences of religions, one need look no further than monotheistic versus polytheistic religions. Hinduism, Wicca, and Mahayana Buddhism are polytheistic; Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic, and Theravada Buddhism and atheism believe in no God. Obviously, of any group is correct, the others can’t be. If atheists are correct that God doesn’t exist, no matter how sympathetic you are, Christians are wrong. As are Hindus, wiccans, Jews, and Muslims. Christians and Muslims believe after people die once, people go to either heaven and hell (with different requirements for getting into paradise) so if they are correct, the religions that believe in reincarnation are wrong.

Some will argue that its only the “big three” – Christianity, Islam, and Judaism – are spiritually compatible because they are all monotheistic and claim their roots in Abraham. While they may have similar roots, their beliefs are undeniably different, especially when it comes to salvation and the afterlife. The bible, Christianity’s main text, clearly states it’s exclusive path to salvation – believe in Jesus as the savior. The Koran does the same except instead of Jesus being the only path, it’s a belief in Allah and good works. To Muslims, Jesus is merely a prophet, not a part of the Godhead, and certainly not a requirement for salvation in the way Jesus is to Christians. To Jews, the afterlife is downplayed and Jesus certainly wasn’t God and plays no part in salvation. Again, given these three diverting views, only one (if any at all) can be correct. If Jesus is only a prophet, he can’t be the savior; if Jesus was neither a prophet nor God, he really isn’t important.

It’s easier for us to focus only on the uniting factors while dismissing differences. And there is certainly a time to put differences aside temporarily to unite behind any number of the values different religions share. However, to ignore them indefinitely, or relegate them to insignificance does no one any good. Every human being has value, regardless of what faith they chose to follow, but to argue that all faiths are the same is foolish.